Second-Hand Smoke Exposure Effects on Human Health: Evaluation of PM10 Concentrations in the External Areas of a University Campus

Vincenzo Torretta, Athanasia Tolkou, Ioannis Katsoyiannis and Marco Schiavon
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Vincenzo Torretta: Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, 21000 Varese, Italy
Athanasia Tolkou: Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Ioannis Katsoyiannis: Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Marco Schiavon: Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: Studies about the measurement of outdoor tobacco smoke (OTS) are limited to a few very recent studies. In many countries around the world, within public buildings, smoking is prohibited by law. However, these prohibitions often drive smokers to move to the border of the areas where smoking is forbidden, typically the entrances of buildings, in order to smoke. When many smokers stand outdoors near the entrances, a significant “wall” of smoke is generated. This condition exposes nonsmokers to smoke and contaminates the indoor environment too. Such a situation is amplified if the outdoor external area is covered. This paper presents a work carried out in a university campus, near building entrances, with the aim of studying the second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure in outdoor conditions. Measurements of particulate matter in specific environmental conditions are evaluated to estimate the OTS impacts on the students and the academic staff. The results showed that the exposure to tobacco can be very high and even comparable to values found when tests were carried out indoors, at the same distances from the smokers. A discussion about forbidding smoking near the entrances of public buildings is reported, including considerations about the environmental and public health concerns induced by SHS exposure and the smoking activity.

Keywords: outdoor tobacco smoke; particulate matter; public health; environmental pollution; exposure; air quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:7:p:2948-:d:342556

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